Christmas Presents

I told my high schooler that I thought he should stick to a certain dollar amount in buying family Christmas presents.

"That's not enough!" he protested. "I need to spend more than that!
He looked over his list.
"The present I was going to get (Delicate Flower) is $20.00! That doesn't leave enough for everyone else!!"

He knitted his brows in deep concentration.

"I haven't got a lot of money in the bank right now," he said slowly. "Maybe I should try to get a part-time job..."

What would Jesus do?

What about what does Jesus think?

Have you ever wondered what He thinks about the way we agonize over what to buy each other for His birthday? Who to buy for, what to buy, how and when can we get it-- (getting the most for our money, of course.) The thoughts that consume our waking moments and tie us in knots from November to December.

Will this gift be enough? Too much? What if I'm teaching my kids to be greedy? What if I don't buy enough to make them happy--or measure up to the other kids in their class?

Will this gift really show I care? Will this accidently reveal that I don't ? Maybe worst of all: will it show that I really care more than they've realized? What will I do if it turns out to be more, or less, than they are giving me?

What have we done?

I like giving and receiving at Christmas just as much as the next
person. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I believe God is pleased when I pick out a gift that brings happiness to the heart of the person receiving it.

But look at this mess have we created.

It's a roadmap of emotional payoffs and paybacks. By Christmas Day, we'll have everything but time and energy to think about the One who gave us the reason for a holiday.

For a Holy Day.

Jesus was born to die for our sins, not to send us into a frenzy for the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are so quick to pounce on non-believers because of their materialism. What about the attitudes of our hearts?

I don't know about you, but I think I still have a long way to go.